International Women’s Day 2018 — The way forward: inclusion of women and girls with disabilities

Women and girls with disabilities continue to face inequalities in society. They experience the denial of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights based on both gender and disability, and they remain subject to multiple discrimination. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its commitment to leaving no one behind give heightened attention to reducing this inequality, and stress the importance of a human-rights-based approach.

DPI therefore calls to:

• Promote the rights of women and girls with disabilities and enhance their participation in society by addressing all barriers to full and equal participation.
• Integrate and address women and girls with disabilities in all gender programmes and activities of international development cooperation.
• Stop all forms of violence against women and girls with disabilities through legal action, shelters and other protective measures.
• Provide women and girls with disabilities with job training and employment opportunities.
• Support the creation of organisations and networks of women with disabilities and encourage women with disabilities to take leadership roles in public decision-making bodies at all levels.
• Provide equal access to education, health care, decent work and representation in political and economic decision-making.

Providing women and girls with disabilities with equal access will benefit societies and humanity at large.